Burning Beat
by thalassic
Summary: Riku is in college. Roxas is a run away. Axel is a bartender. The Destiny Islands gang is experiencing technical difficulties. Life is a mess. [alternate u. story] [mxm, fxf, mxf, get over it]
1. Beat No 1

Burning Beat 

**/ Kingdom Hearts Alternate Universe /**  
This was pretty much thought up on a Wednesday night, after skipping school because I didn't want to finish my project that day, and even now, I'm writing this instead of finishing the damn project, because I've finally decided there's NO point in it. Yeah. I think I'll probably just turn in the front, and when he says, 'Where's the whole thing?' I'll have my eyes water up, and squeal, "Y-y-you mean it's not with it!" and start crying. That ALLLLWWAAAYS works . . .. Okay. Getting off topic.

This Kingdom Hearts, yeah, it has the characters from II, because they're older and lovelier.

This story also contains yaoi, yuri, shounen-ai, shojo-ai, and any sort of mix you could think of. And sex. It has sex. And Shiva would like to point out that, no, she is not failing Algebra. She is a year ahead of her math, thank you very much. There's straight-ness too, but Shiva IS a teenager girl, and Miyavi is playing in the background. Expect angst (I do good with angst), fluff (not so good), and plot (terrible at it). Also, if I ever get around to actually finishing the damn thing, no doubt it will be in a year, after long sporadic updates. Maybe. I'm kind of not very motivated. You know Shikamaru, from Naruto? Yeah, I'm Shikamaru. Only without the genius part.

Starting the story now.

/ Beat **One** Waking **Up **

Sunlight flooded into the room as soon as the curtains were drawn like floodgates, illuminating everything in its golden glow. Everything, that is, except for the boy curled up under his bed, no, the sunlight didn't get under there just yet. That would not happen until a manicured hand wrapped around the pale ankle, pulling the boy out from under there to face the light of day. For a moment, the owner of the hand almost expected the boy to hiss and start shriveling up.

Instead, aquamarine eyes flickered open. Pale lips parted to say something, but then closed again (thank god for small miracles) as the boy sat up. Silver hair tumbled down in a mess, plastered to his forehead and one cheek. His pajamas were in the same state as his hair, rumpled and dirty and probably in major need of a wash; yet everything about this boy's room screamed neat freak. From hair products and tools lined up perfectly on a dresser, to clothes organized by color and season in the closet, it screamed cleanliness, and thus, godliness.

"Riku, it's the first day of school, and you haven't even taken a shower yet? We leave in an hour," scolded his mother, a small woman with kind eyes but a mean voice. Her own appearance matched the room she stood in- neat, orderly, beautiful, and a little less than actually homey. A custom-tailored business suit covered her thin frame; gray skirt, gray jacket, white shirt, and even thin-wire frames over her eyes. Silver hair, like her son, yet clean and pulled back into a bun.

In response to both his mother's words and appearance, he simply grunted and began pulling his shirt off. A hard glare from his mother at the sight of the Chinese dragon crawling its way up his chest, lips pursed, but nothing said. Instead, she placed a glass of orange juice on a coaster next to his alarm clock on the nightstand, and left the room to its inhabitant.

The first thing Riku did was shed the rest of his clothes, and drag himself into the adjacent bathroom to do some heavy-duty primping. Thirty-minutes later he reappeared in a swirl of steam, and one could imagine, perfume. Shuffle back to the room; slide fingers over hangers in the closet until he picks one at random. One of his typically tight fitting shirts, this one olive green with a white sketchy heart on the front, a sketchy broken heart on the back. Coupled with a pair of jeans only a slim boy like Riku could pull off, he was set for a day of ignoring introductions and wandering aimlessly around, trying to find classes he didn't really want to go to.

It wasn't really the first day of school, of course. Just the 'move-in' day, where he would pack all of his shit up and ship it off to the dorm, where he would then create a room absolutely identical to back home. It's just how he worked, and it wasn't going to change any time soon. A quick glance at the makeup on his desk, a shake of the head. That was his sister's; she must have left it in here on one of her daily 'find Riku's hidden snack stash' raids. Why the girl would need to put make-up on to look for Twinkies was none of the silver-haired boy's concern. After all, starting today, he wouldn't even be living with her anymore, or a mother who still thought that, at 18, her baby boy needed someone to bring him a glass of orange juice in the morning.

"College…" he muttered, brushing his fingers against the pamphlet on the desk. 'Twilight University,' it read in big bold letters, simple and clean. It wasn't an especially prestigious college, but was at least not community college. Twilight U was somewhere in between, a sort of place to go if you weren't looking to own the world, but weren't looking for the world to own you, either. Riku hadn't had the motivation to apply for a better place. Lately, all he had been doing was settling for less, but it didn't bother him as much as it bothered his mother.

Speaking of his mother, halfway through brushing his hair she came in, arms folded. "You're wearing that? To college?" When her son simply grunted and continued brushing his hair, she sighed. "Oh, Riku, what will the dean think? What will the teachers think? You look like you're just starting high school, not college!"

Which wasn't true. Riku looked every bit the part of an 18 year old. The problem was, his mother wanted her 18-year-old to look like a 30-year-old, suit and all. _Bullshit I'm wearing a suit,_ he thought, making a face at his mother through the mirror. Grab the orange juice from the nightstand, down it, and then sweep into the bathroom again to brush his teeth. When he was finally ready, he walked downstairs, his mother trailing after him.

Selphie giggled, jumping up from her spot on the couch. Ever the bouncy little sister, she jumped around him, singing, "Rikkkuuuuu's a big boy nooow!" over and over and over again, until she was stopped by Riku's hand firmly on her head. They were silent for a moment, wide green eyes staring up into aquamarine ones, and then…

Riku smiled, and hugged his little sister. "I'll miss you too."

Selphie giggled, and wriggled out of his grasp. "Call me, okay? Jus' think, I'mma be joining you there in three years!"

Oh god, terrifying thought. He tried not to let that show on his face, and simply poked her nose as he turned towards the door, and the already loaded car. It was his father, not his mother, who was driving him all the way to college, all the way in the Lumecia province. His mother had some big case or something, he wasn't too sure, but laid-back artist dad was always there to fill in.

His parents had gotten divorced when he was 14, so it wasn't young enough where it had affected him completely, but it was right when his hormones were being a huge bitch, so he had of course made it out to be a huge deal. Four years later, he accepted it for what it was- time. Time that was passing by right now, and was screaming for him to get in the car so they could get there before nightfall.

"Bye, Riku! Take care! Please call me when you get there!" called his mother. In response, his father called from the driver's seat, "Dianne, please, he's an adult now."

"Don't you get in any crashes, now! I won't be your lawyer, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am," chorused both of them, before Riku slid into the front seat and closed the door. Finally, he was on his way to, for the first time in his life, really being on his own.

Meanwhile, miles away, another boy woke up in a similar state, and yawned loudly.

"_Sora! Get up, honey!"_


	2. Beat No 2

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Burning Beat

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Rating: M, for sex and swearing and violence and shit. Ya know, the good stuff. 

**Type: **Romance/Angst/Vague Humor/Action/Adventure

**Summary: **No, you don't get one.

**Author's Note: **Riku was introduced as the first character, but neither he nor Sora will be the only main characters in this story. I'm not sure who I'll add in next, I haven't really worked that far ahead. But down below we have Roxas. Did I ever tell you that I cried during the beginning of the game, when Roxas became Sora, and Sora was on the train? I bawled my eyes out. Only time in the game I did, too.

**Disclaimer: **No, Shiva doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any of the characters therein. Yes, you heard right, Disney. There's definitely gonna be a Disney character smuggled in here somehow, if not many of them.

Now, on to the story.

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**B**eat **N**o. **2.1**: Flagpole Sitta

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I had visions, I was in them, I was looking into a mirror 

( By **Harvey Danger** )

"Roxas, wake up!" cried the boy standing over him, dorky sweatband around a dorky head with a dorky basketball jersey and dorky pants. In the alleyway, the sun was only just beginning to rise over the skyscrapers and clouds, wrestling its way slowly into the spotlight. It was still the sort of early morning where you didn't really want to be awake, but felt a strange exhilaration at being so anyways. Birds squawked angrily overhead, fighting about something or other, while down on the ground, people fought too. Seifer had successfully managed to get Hayner in a headlock, while the smaller (but considerably bitchier) boy flailed around. The one who stood over Roxas was called…

"Pence? Wha-?" Yawning, sitting up with the raggedy blankets pooling around his bare chest. He could have sworn… he could have sworn someone calling a different name, though he couldn't really grasp it now that he tried to. Anyways, it didn't matter. He stood up, causing all three of the other boys in the alleyway stop and stare. "Whoa whoa whoa, Roxy, no one wants to see-"

Roxas glanced down, and noticed he wasn't wearing pants or boxers. "Oh. Sorry." Quick bend, grab the blankets and wrap them around his waist. "Don't know where those went." He didn't sound worried about it, though, and so no one else was, either. However, Seifer did have to ask-

"Why the fuck were you sleeping in an alley?" He even loosened his grip on Hayner, who managed to wriggle free and hit him over the head in triumph. Muttering an, "Ow! You fucking monkey!" he lunged forward. It took a moment for Roxas to be heard over all the rolling around and shuffling and grunting.

"Think I might have had sex with a stranger in the bathroom of a bar after getting really drunk, and then wandered down here."

Pence was the only one who was really listening. "And the blankets?"

Roxas had to think about this one for a moment. "Stolen from a homeless guy!" he came up with triumphantly, after a long pause. Pence didn't look pleased, but didn't comment on his friend's nighttime habits. After all, it had been like this for a while, to the point where it just didn't count anymore. One dark and stormy night, two years ago, Roxas had shown up in the streets, looking torn and battered, begging for a place to stay… and he had been living at "the Usual Spot" since then.

Pence didn't like asking about Roxas' past, it always brought a dark expression and an awkward silence, so instead he simply tried to be there for his best friend as much as he could, but when the boy did shit like this…

"You're seventeen, Roxas. Getting drunk isn't even legal."

"I guess not." Roxas shrugged, moving past Pence and the struggling Hayner-and-Seifer on the floor. "Guess I'd better go get myself some clothes."

Ten minutes later found Roxas sprawled out on the floor of the Usual Spot, eyes closed, headphones covering his ears. Blond hair flipped up in the signature 'ducktail' style, clothes nothing special, just something grabbed from somewhere at sometime. Lips were silently forming words as the music washed over him. Something by that new band out, 'The Organization', he didn't really know.

Olette entered the room, settling down on the floor next to him. Her impossibly curly hair tumbled over her shoulders, eyes intense and staring down at the mess that was her friend (and ex, though that had ended a year ago). It killed her to see Roxas like this, and Roxas probably knew it. Didn't care, or maybe did, but had convinced himself that he didn't. Of course, he had lifted the headphones off of his ears. Olette was generally a very quiet girl, so when she did say something, it was usually worth listening to.

"Roxas, stop lying about the dreams, please. I know you're seeing them again, you can stop pretending you haven't." She reached out, placing a hand over one of his, and sighed. She didn't know if her concern even registered to him, but she couldn't help but watch out for him. They had broken up for some trivial reason (something along the lines of Roxas not liking her like that, and only doing it to make her happy), and it certainly hadn't stopped her from loving everything about Roxas. Everything, except his destructive habits.

"Olette." She glanced up, into Roxas' impossible eyes, and saw something there besides the usual fake cheer. He continued on, "I keep on seeing him. Seeing his life, what he's been doing. He still lives there, on Destiny Islands, living a life I… I could have had too, if that bastard hadn't- If I hadn't- . . . Look, forget it, okay? It's just a dream. Nothing more."

Olette wasn't buying it. She squeezed his hand, leaning forward slightly. "You should go visit them. Let them know you're okay. See Sora again."

"Sora… that's right, that's his name. Visit my brother? Fat chance in hell. He probably hates me, anyways." He turned his head away, to hide the disappointment and depression on his face at this. He didn't want Sora to hate him, Sora had been the only person in that town he could stand, had actually liked… But Roxas had left one night, after a particularly violent fight with his father, and had left his twin at home. If that wasn't betrayal of the twin bond, then he didn't know what was.

"So, what, instead of going to visit them, you get drunk and fuck anything that moves! Roxas, this isn't a good way to live!" She was actually raising her voice now, hands balled into fists. Why was he doing this to himself? Why was he being so stubborn? Why couldn't he just…. Just stop pretending like he wasn't so entirely fucked up?

"… Okay," Roxas replied, so quietly that at first, Olette wasn't sure she had heard him right.

"Say what? Speak louder." Her lips were twitching up into a smile- was he really going to…?

"Okay. I'll go see him." In the next moment, Roxas found himself barreled over by 110 lbs of happiness as Olette clung to him.

"Oh, Roxas, I'm so glad!"

"I… I know. Help me get packed, wouldya?"

Pence, Hayner, and Seifer grinned from the doorway, and said in unison, "It would be our pleasure."

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**B**eat **N**o. **2.2**: Song for the Dumped

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_So you wanted to take a break? Slow it down some and have some space? Yeah, fuck you too._

Demyx had dumped him. Only thing that even managed to register in his mind at the moment. Demyx Edym, cute, adorable, happy, smiling Demyx had said he thought they needed space. SPACE. What was that supposed to mean? The bastard was always going to classes at Twilight U, they only ever saw each other on weekends, and even then, it was only for a few hours. They didn't live together, he didn't call Demyx's cell phone unless the boy asked him to, or he knew he was free, and he wasn't clingy. How, then, could Dem need some space, huh?

This is what Axel asked himself silently, trying to keep busy by mindlessly shining the counter. All he could think, really, was how Demyx could possibly need space. Ever. He didn't even notice someone had sat down, and was apparently waiting for him to take their order, until said person cleared their throat, and tapped impatiently on the countertop.

"He lives in a fucking mansion!" is what Axel snarls at the customer, knowing full well that whoever it was didn't want to hear it, but he really couldn't help but scream it; regardless of the fact that it was the bartender that did the comforting, not the other way around. When he finally does look up at the person sitting on the barstool in front of him, it is to see a punky little teenager sitting there, ridiculously blue eyes staring at him, a blond eyebrow raised up. His hair reminded Axel vaguely of a chicken's for some reason, but he couldn't really explain it. Maybe a hen's tail, yeah, the way it was gelled up into a sort of Mohawk in the middle, the sides messy. Kid was wearing a black jacket over a tight bright-blue shirt, and crossed legs covered by baggy black jeans.

He looked like he was 15. "Yer kidding me, right? We don't serve to minors, got it memorized?" to which the boy just smirked, flashing his ID. The drinking age in Twilight Town was 18, and that's certainly what it said on his ID card. 'Sora Tilmitt' is what it said, with a picture of him smiling. What a bastard, photogenic even in his ID pictures. Demyx had been blond, and this Sora kid was blond, so he automatically wanted to take out his frustration on this new customer. He opened his mouth to snap some witty comment, but was cut off by Sora's short reply.

"Not a minor. Beer, please" with a little singsong in his voice. Caused Axel to narrow his eyes, but keep his lips firmly shut as he went about fetching little master a beer. Upon slamming it violently down on the counter (resisting the urge to break it completely) he turned around and sulked.

Roxas couldn't help but grin at this uncharacteristically bad-tempered bartender. He had entered the bar hoping to get ridiculously drunk and forget all about how he had just lied to his best friends, and instead had found a red-head in an amusing mood. For Roxas' frazzled nerves, this was a good way to distract his misery-filled mind, if only for a little while. Leaning forward, he tapped his fingers on the bar once more, gesturing to his empty beer mug when the redhead flipped around violently.

"WHAT?" Axel snarled. This kid was starting to get on his nerves. How dare he be blond, and how dare he expect Axel to serve him, like… like some kind of bartender! He wasn't in the mood, at all, and Demyx was only weighing on his mind every time he glanced at the kid's blond hair. Sure, this Sora kid's eyes were blue, and Demyx's were Green, but that was really only a minor detail. And of course, Demyx wasn't 18, he was 20, and constantly carried around that ridiculous sitar of his, and didn't have an attitude like this kid- but the hair, damnit! It was blond!

He slammed another beer down on the counter, scowling at this asshole who dared to speak to him, and was about to turn around when a small hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

Roxas thought this guy was funny, and not half-bad looking. Unruly red hair pulled hastily back into a ponytail that still had pieces spiking out at odd angles, eyes dark and brooding at the moment while still managing to be impossibly light, lips pouting, and strange teardrop tattoos under each sea-green eye. 'Axel' said the nametag on his black vest, and so that's what Roxas calls him when he speaks.

"You look like you just got dumped, Axel." Which, coming from the mouth of someone blond, simply made Axel snap. "Of course I just got dumped! The asshole even had the nerve to tell me he needed space! Fucking SPACE! HE LIVES IN A MANSION! HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY NEED SPACE?" He was huffing and puffing and blowing the ears off of the other people in the bar, who all stared at him for less that .3 seconds, and then went back to their drinks like nothing happened. After all, it was a bar, and things like this were to be expected. Maybe not from the bartender, but whatever.

Roxas grinned. Something about the bartender's overdramatic misery just made him feel way better about his own problems. That a guy would just start ranting about his relationship with another man to some random stranger, and that said guy was a bartender and the listener a teenaged kid who was most likely lying about his age- it really did amuse him. So much so that he even had to hold back a laugh as he replied, "Maybe he just needs a break."

"Oh yeah, like that helps! He could have just said, "Fuck you" and gotten it over with, but no, he has the balls to say something like that!" Poutpoutpoutpoutpout. Then a scowl. Axel gave Roxas another beer before the boy could lift his hand to request one, and continued on his tangent. "Two fucking years, and he can't even come up with anything new or innovative, he's gotta say the same cheap cop-out, like I'm not the best fuck he's ever had!"

This was getting interesting. Roxas leaned closer, ignoring the disgusting aftertaste of beer in his mouth, and motions for Axel to go on. After all, hearing about someone else's problems was extremely soothing. He idly downed this third mug with the expertise of a pro, ears twitching slightly as Axel's fluid voice started again.

"He's in some fancy band, plays a fucking SITAR for god's sakes. 'The Organization', some shit, so it's not like we ever see each other anyways. I went to the shows, but hangin' around practice just didn't seem like a great idea, and looked sort of pathetic. The other band members were all total douches, but he was supposed to be sweet, and then he turns around and does this to me. I was supposed to break up with him when I got bored with him, it wasn't supposed to be the other way around."

"Sounds like you've got some problems," commented Roxas, glancing around the bar idly. No one else seemed to be mildly interesting or attractive, so the teen resigned himself to sticking with Axel. Once he got nice and drunk, there was no one who could resist his charms- especially not a recently dumped person. Down a fourth beer, still not feeling the effects, and brush a hand idly over Axel's on the counter as he moves to lean closer.

Axel didn't notice, and continued on undeterred. "He's going on tour with his band, and I guess he didn't want me to come or something. Probably thought he'd find someone in some foreign country who would be happy to fuck him, and thought I'd get in the way. Bastard didn't even listen to me! Didn't want to hear my side of the story. Well all I have to say about that is that Demyx is a fucking asshole, Cajun style. Got it memorized?" With a huff, he slammed down a fifth beer and scowl. Then realize he'd been ranting to a complete stranger, and stare at Roxas for a moment.

Sighing, he offered a hand. "Name's Axel. Sorry about that, I'm in a bad mood," which only caused Roxas to actually laugh, saying something along the lines of, "I can tell," before taking a sip of his beer. It was – maybe – starting to kick in, causing him to grin and take Axel's hand, mumbling, "Roxas."

"Roxas? Your card-"

"I hate my real name," he lied quickly, and was slightly disappointed with the slip-up. He was losing his touch… ah well, in a year he wouldn't have to use a fake ID anymore, and could get drunk legally as much as he wanted.

Axel didn't question it, just nodded and leaned on the counter. "You live around here, Roxas?" Kid was cute, almost sexy- Axel vaguely considered taking the drunk boy back to his apartment, but shot that idea down soon after it formed. Bartenders didn't take customers back to their place.

"Not really. Don't got a home." Beer was affecting him. It was now the sixth mug, but unlike the sixth mugs of other times, this one was being a bitch and causing him to spill secrets he didn't like spilling. Like being homeless. Or that he secretly really liked that girly pop Olette listened to. He didn't spill the last one, but after a few more mugs, he most likely would.

Axel's expression changed. He knew what that was like, and almost instantly his heart went out to this poor boy- he looked so sad (and drunk) sitting there, idly twirling a finger around the shiny top of the bar with his lower lip sticking out just so. His own problems momentarily forgotten, he switched into stereotypical bartender mode, and motioned for Roxas to continue talking. Which the blond boy did without hesitation.

"My father and I used to fight lots, used ta get in fist fights, an' I guess… I really didn't hate my old man. I hated my mom, that bitch who could never lift a finger to help me, but dad- naw, I just wanted his approval. When I couldn't get it, I got angry, and hit him. My brother, dad never hurt him, dad was proud of him. One time, dad 'n me, we're really goin' at it, screaming and punching and bleedin', while mom just stands there, and m'brother jumps in, trying to break us up, and I accidentally punch him. I didn't mean to, it just… anyways, I freaked out, and left. Haven't been back since." Finished with his little story, Roxas stood up.

"Leaving so soon?" asked Axel, an eyebrow raised. He wasn't sure what to think of this drunken confession of the past. Roxas only nodded his head, and slapped some bills on the counter. He lifted a hand up in a slight wave, then swayed over to the door. He stopped only when Axel yelled, "Wait!" and jumped over the counter, headed towards him. "Here-" he slapped a piece of paper in Roxas' hand- a number. What was he doing? Why was he giving a random drunk kid his number? He reasoned that it was probably because Demyx had recently dumped him, and he was just being his typical bleeding heart multiplied by twenty-thousand, but he knew there was probably something hidden underneath all of that.

Roxas only knew that he had a number in his hand. Nodding, smiling, he shoved it in a pocket, waved again, and exited the bar, leaving a red-head watching him, confused, as he disappeared into the night.

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**Author's Note: **Beat Two has come to a close! Are you confused? Here's a few things, to clear shit up:

Whenever Axel refers to Sora, he means Roxas. Roxas used Sora's name for his fake ID. Awww, how sweet and nostalgic.

When Axel refers to Demyx's band, 'The Organization', yes it IS an allusion to Organization XIII. Demyx's bandmates are Marluxia, Zexion, and Luxord, who will all play some part in this story, too.

Yes, Xemnas/Mansex/Xehanort will be making an appearance. How could I leave him out?

When the scene cuts from the Usual Spot to the bar, it's the night of the same day. More will be explained in Beat Four about where he went after leaving the gang.

Yes, Beat Four. Beat Three will feature Sora and the gang at Destiny Islands.

What do you think about how Axel and Roxas met? Would you like to see more of Riku in the next Beat, or would you like me to focus solely on the Destiny Island folks? Please leave me a review. They make me feel better. Also, no worries, females besides Selphie will be introduce in the next Beat.

Until then, ciao.


End file.
